American Business English

SHANNON : What a fantastic performance! Thank you for inviting me to the musical.

ELENA : You are welcome. I’m happy you enjoyed the show. The choreography of the dancers was incredible. It reminds me of when I used to dance.

SHANNON : I know! You were such a talented ballerina. Do you miss dancing?

ELENA : Oh, that’s very kind of you, Shannon. I do miss it sometimes. But I will always be a fan of the arts. That’s why I love going to musicals because it’s the perfect combination of song, dance and theater.

SHANNON : Absolutely! I’m glad you are still an art fan too. Thank you for the invitation. It’s always a pleasure to attend an arts event with you and learn something new.

LANGUAGE NOTES :

You are welcome. Elena replies “You are welcome" in this dialogue. She could also say, “Don’t mention it," which is an example of downgrading. Downgrading a compliment varies with culture. When in doubt, just say “You are welcome."

When getting a compliment to someone (for example: “You were such a talented ballerina"), you can either accept the compliment (“That’s very kind of you") or downplay the compliment (“Oh, I wasn’t that good").

Giving compliments in English often includes using superlatives (“the most …," “the best …"). This is the best musical playing on Broadway! / What’s the most entertaining movie you’ve seen? However, compliments can also be given by using the construction “I’m a fan of …": I’m a fan of the arts. / I’m a big fan of theater. / I’m a huge fan of this band. Notice the use of adjectives.